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「O-, oi——」
「Y-, yeah. I’ve seen that attack before……!」

The students buzzed. Leon was a former Holy Knight. A hero to this kingdom. Many students were familiar with him.

「……Big brother! What are you doing here!?」

When Leone said that, everyone in the room grasped the situation. It was a known fact that Leone was the sister of Leon, the traitor who abandoned his position as a Holy Knight and ran to the Ironblood Chain Brigade.

「The Ironblood Chain Brigade came to interfere!?」
「N-, now……!?」
「Do we have to fight a former Holy Knight……!?」

The students fell into agitation.

「Hey hey, hold your horses. You saw what I did, didn’t you? I’m here to help, though I get it that it’s a tall order to ask you to believe me. Hey, Miliera, say something to your students.」
「……Their reaction only speaks of how atrocious your betrayal is. I am not to advocate you.」

Principal Miliera’s expression remained sour.

「Well, ain’t that the truth. Ha ha ha.」
「It’s nothing to laugh about. Do you even know how much Miss Leone suffered after she’s left behind all alone? While I know that you have your own thoughts, I can’t endorse your decision. Miss Leone is my student, and anyone who harms my students, even if they are blood relatives, I won’t forgive them.」
「……And I’m thankful for that. Please continue to take care of Leone from now on.」

Leon’s tone became a touch serious as he bowed his head to Miliera, who only heaved a sigh in response.

「…You think helping us out here will give you some kind of atonement?」
「As if. I know damn well what I had done wasn’t something that could be taken so lightly. Well, I’m here due to my current boss’ order, I got no say in it.」

However, when he gave the order, Black Mask said this to Leon: No matter what others think of you. Don’t push your ideals on to them, If you have something to protect then protect it. If sometime in the future we walk the same path again, then what good luck that will be.

「Principal, we ought to use whatever help is available for now! A former Holy Knight would be very reassuring!」

Said Silva to the principal.

「Oh? We have a guy with a good head on his shoulders here. Nice. You got potentials, you know that?」
「Please, don’t get any idea! As two Special Grade Rune bearers, I can’t forgive you for abandoning your responsibilities and running away! As soon as this is over, I will take you into custody and bring you to justice! You are fine with that too, aren’t you, Leone!?」
「Y-, yes……! Senior Silva!」
「Yikes……Well, I guess I gotta flee before that happens then.」

With a shrug of his shoulder, Leon made his way to the circle formation. When he got closer to the center, to where Silva and Leone were, he produced a sphere object from his pocket. It had a mottled pattern of black and white.

「Here goes!」

And he threw it at his feet.

Cliiiink!

As the object shattered, a mist-like mixture of black and white fog filled the area.

「W-, what is……!?」
「Smoke screen……!?」
「B-, be careful, everyone!」

Leon responded to the clamor with a sigh.

「Damn, I sure am not trusted. You students are elites responsible for the future of this country, aren’t you? Don’t lose your heads over every little thing, observe and judge what’s happening in front of you.」

Some of them didn’t need to be told, however, as they noticed the effect already.

「Th-, this is! My power is coming back!?」
「You’re right! What is…」
「My body feels light!」
「Yeah, with this!」

We can use our Gift to its full power once again.

「It’s called Mana Mist. Its effect is just as you’ve experienced. Pretty good stuff, huh? I don’t know why, but my boss brings a lot of items with him.」

Leon’s instruction then found its way to Leone.

「Leone, open up the subspace once again.」
「…………」
「Oi oi, not now, okay? I’m not gonna trap you or anything.」
「I know that!!」

Leone made her response as curt as possible.

To tell the truth, she was vexed. There was a part of her that felt relieved of how reliable her brother was for saving her. The way he bowed to Principal Miliera, asking her to take care of Leone, almost brought back the feeling of kinship she had lost.

Even though she mustn’t be like this. This was an emergency, cooperation was unavoidable. She had to see him as an enemy whose interest temporarily aligned with hers, and yet…

Her heart clearly didn’t want to work along with her. This frustrated her to no end.
That was why, at least, she thought she shouldn’t show it.

Regardless, with her strength returning, Leone activated her Gift once again. The surrounding scene then changed to the dark, empty space.

「Then I’m gonna give help here. We’re feeding mana to Ripple for her to call Magic Stone Beasts, right?」

Leon then keeled down beside Ripple, who was still unconscious, and let his iron gauntlet Artifact touch her.

「Ugh……!? But man, she really eats it up…」
「Us too, Mister Silva!」
「Yes, Principal!」

All three of them poured mana into Ripple from each of their Artifacts.

After which, the light covering Ripple’s body expanded and increased in intensity. Surges of fatigue washed over them as their mana was consumed far too quickly.

「Oi oi……! We give her this much and nothing comes out yet!?」
「They kept appearing one after another just before, though!」
「It seems that this is nothing like the previous ones!」

Then…

A huge spatial distortion vortex appeared outside the circle of students.

Rumbleeeee!

In the next instant, a gigantic pillar of light rose up towards the sky. In the wake of its force, the subspace that Leone created was broken through and disappeared, returning the surroundings once again to that of the Knight Academy.

「!? The space!?」
「It tore through!?」

In other words, that pillar of light had that much power to make that possible. It pierced through the ceilings and the roofs of the school building, while the shockwave that ensued also blew away its walls.

「「「UWAAaaahhh!?」」」
「「「KYAAaaahhh!?」」」

The students were blown, scattered by the shockwave. The only thing left was the rubble of the school building… and an enormous silhouette, like a small mountain, standing in the center of it.

「Uuugh……!?」

Leone was also blown back violently, but something caught her, hence she wasn’t seriously injured.

「……Yo. You good?」
「Brother!」

Apparently, Leon managed to catch Leone in the air. He gave her a smile, but Leone threw her face from his.

「Wh-, what was that before……!?」
「Well. Look at it yourself. Ripple, that girl, she sure went and summoned a nasty one…」

At the place Leon’s finger pointed, a Magic Stone Beast with its body illuminated in seven prismatic colors… a Prisma, was there.